Somali Mennonite Believers Fellowship

Contents

1958 Article

Mennonite Mission (Mennonite Church) in Somalia (formerly Italian Somaliland), East Africa, was established in 1953 by the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. In 1958 its headquarters was in Mogadishu, the capital city, with three other stations in Mahaddei Uen, Margherita, and Torda. The staff consisted of four missionary couples, two nurses, three short-term workers, and a Pax unit of three men. -- HSB

1989 Update

The Somali Mennonite Believers Fellowship is located mostly in Mogadishu, in 1987 the capital city of Somalia. The fellowship had weekly worship services every Friday morning. The Fellowship was minimally organized with leadership given by a council chosen by the members.

The involvement of Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities was initiated in 1953. Earlier the work of the Sudan Interior Mission also contributed to the Christian witness in Somalia. After 1980 several other Christian agencies became involved in relief and development programs and, by their presence in the country, gave encouragement and support to this small fellowship. Roman Catholics, mostly from Italy, have become active in health, education, and orphanage ministries since 1935.

This Mogadishu fellowship was probably the only active group in the country in 1987 with predominately Somali leadership. There were no official membership lists and attendance at weekly worship services varied, in 1987, from 20 to 40. There had been slow growth in the fellowship during the 1980s. -- KMN